Tunica: gambling mecca in the making
Written: Apr 28 '00 (Updated May 03 '00)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: loose slots, friendly dealers, good food
Cons: Don't go for landscape beauty. Tunica's pretty barren
|
|
|
| TimSingleton's Full Review: Mississippi |
On a quiet little stretch of desolate land in northern Mississippi, a project of the last several years is putting a town called Tunica on the map. Though the scenery is pretty nondescript(though swampy here and there) Tunica is developing into a glitzy gambling mecca with some of the features of bigger places like Las Vegas.
lying just across the border from Tennessee by about 30 or 40 miles, Tunica is laid out somewhat similarly to Vegas. The hotels stretch out over a long distance of road. Some of them are clumped together(Isle of Capri, Sam's Town, Harrah's), while others are set far from other hotels(Fitzgerald's.) On my visits to Tunica, I have always stayed at Fitzgerald's. There is a large, enclosed, indoor, heated pool and hot tub(Just perfect to bask in on a cold November day while you glare out the glass panels at the cold, rainy scene outside.) Fitzgerald's staff did need to learn about friendliness but, other than that, the hotel was exquisite. Hotel costs vary widely. When we called, prices ran from $50 to over $100, but if you keep calling you can find good deals. We paid between $50 and $60 per night.
Slot machines appeared to be fairly loose in Tunica and the dealers at the tables were friendly and helpful. "Never pay for your meal when you gamble," one enthusiastic dealer lectured us. "Be sure to give the dealers your card and get comped!"(comped simply means that the hotel offers amenities to gamblers: often this means a free meal.)
As with Las Vegas, the hotels tend to be designed with a particular motif in mind. Bally's is one of the prettiest, resembling a rustic, old, red barn with aged paint, complete with what looked like a silo. Isle of Capri had a beautiful Island motif.
Food is not as cheap as in some other gambling towns, but is reasonable and delicious. Buffet's are to be had at every hotel. My favorite restaurant, though, was the seafood buffet at Sam's Town. There was a large variety of foods, including lobster(which isn't cheap.) The buffet cost about $15.
You might combine a visit to Tunica with a trip to Memphis, Tennessee. The two are just over half an hour's drive apart, and the charm of Memphis' famous Beale Street(famous for its Blues and Jazz venues)is not to be missed. We covered the two cities in only three days and had a ball.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
TimSingleton
|
|
Member: Tim Singleton
Location: Kentucky
Reviews written: 77
Trusted by: 28 members
About Me:
I am a Journalism graduate who freelances mostly for pleasure and a little money occasionally.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.